Pierce Mattie Public Relations New York & Los Angeles

When it comes to tanning, I’ve tried it all – everything from turbo tanning beds that leave me red to spray tanning booths that turn me orange. I’ve found that neither is right for my skin, which is a pale, pasty white – I cover it everyday with H\E Bronzer.

This past week, I started working with Sundara, a sunless tanning salon located in Hell’s Kitchen, which was voted the number one salon in the city by CitySearch readers. I thought I’d give sunless tanning another try, and I had a completely different experience this time around.

First, I had a consult with the technician to see if I had any skin issues, allergies, etc., and to determine my goal skin tone. After that, she custom, yes, CUSTOM blended a formula especially for me. I’ve never seen that done before, but she explained that since we all have different skin tones/concerns, we all need different formulas to help balance redness and to camouflage skin blemishes (i.e. freckles, age spots and sun damage). It makes perfect sense.

Once I was disrobed and ready for tanning, I was amazed by how swift and accurate she moved, like a stealth martial arts master making her move. It was obvious that she was a pro. Within five minutes, I was sprayed twice and was ready to dry in Sundara’s custom drying booth, equipped with high-power fans and lights to help speed along the process. I immediately noticed a big difference and over the next few hours, I gradually turned a golden brown, not orange as I expected due to past experiences. In addition to looking like I had spent a day at the beach soaking up the warm sun, I looked healthier and skinnier. It’s amazing what a tan can do.

With that said I’m thrilled to be working with Sundara and can say that I fully agree with the CitySearch readers. Sundara is definitely the best sunless tanning salon in Manhattan, and it’s clear why they have a waiting list to get in. Take it from me; I’ve been to them all. And stay tuned, Sundara will be opening a second location soon.